This project uses the combination of a spectroscopic detector and a monochromator to produce scatter free images for use in mammography. Reducing scatter is vital in mammography, where typical structures have either low contrast or small dimensions. The typical method to reduce scatter is the anti-scatter grid, which has the drawback of absorbing a fraction of the primary beam as well as scattered radiation. An increase in the dose is then required in order to compensate. Compton-scattered X-rays have lower energy than the primary beam. When using a monochromatic beam and a spectroscopic detector the scattered beam will appear at lower energies than the primary beam in the detected spectrum. Therefore if the spectrum of the detected X-rays is available, the scattered component can be windowed out of the spectrum, essentially producing a scatter free image. The monochromator used in this study is made from a Highly Orientated Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) crystal with a mosaic spread of 0.4°±0.1°. The detector is a pixellated spectroscopic detector that is made from a 2 cm x 2 cm x 0.1 cm CdTe crystal with a pixel pitch of 250 µm and an energy resolution of 0.8 keV at 59.5 keV. This work presents the characterisation of the monochromator and initial imaging data. The work shows a contrast increase of 20% with the removal of the low energy Compton scattered X-rays.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.